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Cano named American League Player of the Week

Cano named American League Player of the Week

7/1/12: Robinson Cano takes Gavin Floyd deep with a two-run homer to right-center, putting the Yankees on top by a pair of runs in the third

By Zack Meisel
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MLB.com |

Robinson Cano has been racking up the accolades lately.

One day after earning a trip to his fourth All-Star Game, the Yankees second baseman received the distinction of American League Player of the Week.

Cano hit .414 (12-for-29) with four home runs and 10 RBIs in seven games last week, during which the Yankees went 5-2. His two-run blast put New York in front for good in Wednesday's 5-4 victory against the Indians. Cano belted 11 home runs in June, the most in his career for any calendar month, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The 29-year-old has already reached the 20-homer plateau, his fourth consecutive season with at least that many roundtrippers, joining Joe Gordon (1938-41) as the only Yankees second basemen to accomplish the feat.

Cano's month just a hot streak, or is this really him?

"I think it's pretty close to what Robbie is. Maybe he's not a .340 hitter every month. And what'd he hit, 11 home runs? Maybe not that. But for Robbie to hit .330 during the course of a season would not shock me." Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I think it's who he is, for the most part. I don't think that's ever out of the question when the season starts. I don't."

In New York's three-game sweep of Cleveland, Cano batted .500 (6-for-12) with two homers and five RBIs. For the season, he is hitting .310 with 20 homers, 23 doubles and 46 RBIs.

Cano had competition for the award from teammate Hiroki Kuroda, who won both of his starts last week while yielding just one earned run on eight hits in 14 innings. The right-hander tallied 18 strikeouts in his two outings.

Other contenders included Indians right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, who hit .458 with two homers and six RBIs, and Rangers outfielder David Murphy, who hit .462 with two homers and seven RBIs.

Cano has now won AL Player of the Week six times in his career. His last weekly honor came on Aug. 22, 2010.

Zack Meisel is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @zackmeisel. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.